What is your definition of new age practices?
An interesting question.
MichaelArchangelos has captured lot of the practices of the new age. That is to say
- chakra healing and kundalini rising techniques borrowed from Hinduism;
- therapies such as acupuncture and aromatherapy;
- energy balancing and flow techniques such as Fengi Shui and kinesiology;
- processes and modalities for body balancing such as rolfing, alexander technique, etc;
- use of crystals and minerals for wands, beads, japa and sacred stones and to cultivate a sacred environment;
- numerous modalities for self-understanding, self-awareness, eg, dreams, vision-quests, etc, etc.;
- divination, using objects, cards, runes, trance-mediums, psychics, channelling, and the like (all that short of stuff which against the 4th commandment)
- I don't know where you would put astrology. Western Astrology, (called sidereal) is different to Indian Astrology (called Vedic Astrology) literally, by one house, to put it simply. However, Western Astrology is very popular and most Newspapers, Magazines, Media websites, have an astrology column or page. They have it because people want it. Does this make astrology new age? I don't know, it seems nearly mainstream.
What does that say for astrology? Since we are discussing new age practices (and not whether or not we approve of them or believe in them) I would probably say, there is
pop-astrology and
serious-astrology, where people use it as a form of self-understanding with regard to the influences in their lives, their challenge points, their learning points, and their awareness of their propensities to action. So there are ways for people to use astrology for a help. In terms of the question,
"What do you think are new-age practices?", I would probably put both in as new age practices. With regards to the former, I observe daily the indiscriminate giving over of one's life and decisions to the printed or mimeographed words of an astrologer unknown, without anything much more than simply knowing your sun-house (birth house). "Looking up your stars" has become common place, but what people do with that has elements of the irrational and irresponsible.
In our own culture, it is totally different. Astrology is common, everyday. There are sixteen what you Christians might call "sacramentals" in the life of a Hindu, and astrology has its role and place to play in many of these. Looking for the most auspicious time to commence a project, etc. called (Muhurtam). Above all, arranging marriage by way of synastery in Astrology. Very strong cultural influence in Bharath. (India).
There are also specific "new age practices" for communicating with personal guides or protectors, guardian angels, spirit guide, ascended masters, The Masters, and whatever other names are given to them. Scrying, pulling cards, crystals, dowsing with pendants, and boards are used to communicate by individuals.
That's just some of the things people do which are sometimes called "new-age" practices.
